The present invention relates to a crushing apparatus and, more particularly, to a device adapted for crushing cans and the like. The present invention is particularly useful for collapsing aluminum cans such as the type commonly used by the beverage industry.
In the past several years, public consciousness has become more aware of the advantages of recycling various products which were formerly thought of as waste materials and which were discarded. One such material that has received attention has been aluminum which is the main component of cans used by the beverage industry. Both the rise in the cost of aluminum and the ease of recycling aluminum continues to generate an increasing interest in recycling aluminum cans. However, the relatively large size of aluminum cans with respect to the weight of the cans prevents the convenient storage or transportation of a sufficiently large number of cans to justify recycling. In order to amass a sufficient quantity of cans to be practical for recycling, then, a large volume of storage space is required. It is desirable to reduce the required storage space while permitting collection of a sufficient number of the aluminum cans to be recycled.
Several prior art patents have sought to develop crushing apparatus designed to collapse cans, and aluminum cans in particular, but their use has not become wide spread. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,875 issued Feb. 19, 1980 to Fabbri et al. discloses a can crusher wherein a crushing mechanism is mounted on a flat base in the form of an open framework in a generally T-shaped configuration. A lever drives a piston member, which is slideably mounted in this framework so that a can is crushed by the piston with mechanical advantage being gained by the lever assembly. As the piston is withdrawn, the crushed can may fall out of the framework past the end of the base of the mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,387, issued July 22, 1980 to McCaney et al. also discloses a crushing mechanism designed to collapse cans. In this patent, a piston member is mounted in an open framework with the side walls of the framework having slots to guide the piston member as it is driven under the influence of the lever handle. In this mechanism both the piston and the crushing surface in the form of an end wall of the mechanism are slightly canted to overcome the can's initial resistance to compression.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,796, issued Apr. 15, 1980 to Salatka and U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,261, issued Jan. 9, 1979 to Belfils, vertically mounted can crushers are provided wherein a vertical crushing piston is operated by a lever to collapse an aluminum can or the like. In the Salatka patent the piston has a cut out portion to receive the rim of the can to help retain the can as it is being crushed while the Belfils' patent provides a nub on the piston to crimp the can initially as it is being collapsed and an air port is provided to allow air to exit the can as it is being crushed.
While these prior art devices accomplish the main objective of crushing a can, the use of an open framework and lever assembly can present certain dangers to the user. One such danger is the chance that the user or others may accidentally insert his fingers into the apparatus while it is being operated, and, as a result, be in danger of injury either from the crushing piston or from the lever's linkage. Another problem presented by an open framework is the chance that a can might be propelled out of the mechanism while it is being crushed so that it may strike an object or person in the vicinity with great force which could cause injury. Accordingly, it is desirable to eliminate these problems while at the same time maintaining ease of operability and integrity of the crushing apparatus.